invested in the construction of the Maginot Line, which covered the eastern frontiers of France. The frontier with Belgium was regarded as a lesser priority because France's war plan called for the French Army to advance into Belgium and conduct an offensive there. Belatedly, France began construction of a limited series of defenses around Maubeuge in the mid-1930s. These fortifications were individually assaulted and captured in the opening phases of World War II. The Leveau fortifications were attacked on 18 May 1940 and were subdued that afternoon, with one defender dead. In 1944 the fort saw fighting between Resistance and German forces. The site was acquired by the town of Feignies in 1993 and is administered as a museum by the Association de Sauvegrade du Fort de Leveau. In 1998, excavations recovered the remains of nine soldiers killed in the 1914 siege, who were re-interred at the Assevent cemetery. References External links Official site Fort de Leveau (59) at Chemins de mémoire The Fort de Leveau on the website "Remembrance Trails of the Great War in Northern France" Fortifications of Maubeuge Séré de Rivières system World War I museums in France World War II museums in France